News

How local rum inspired by legendary pirate has exploded into national sensation

Published

6 months ago

November 25, 2024

When Jonathan Williams left his desk job in Swindon way back in 2010, his mission, to many, was impossible.

This is the man who hot-footed it back to Pembrokeshire to harvest seaweed from Freshwater West which he then used to create his multi award-winning ‘Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company.’

Using only choice produce sourced from the seas around Pembrokeshire, Jonathan’s innovative (and many would say courageous) idea began tickling the taste buds of some of the UK’s top chefs and food critics including James Martin who christened Williams as ‘the crazy seaweed man’.

Fast-forward seven years and once again Jonathan began honing yet another brain-storming idea, this time inspired by the mighty Bartholomew Roberts – otherwise known as Black Bart. After setting sail from his home in Little Newcastle at the age of 13, Bart gained notoriety as the most successful pirate in the ‘golden age of piracy’ who went on to raid 400 prize ships off the Americas and the West African coast between 1719 until his death from a wound to his throat, in 1722.

And so began Barti Spiced Rum.

“Everything was ticking along nicely at the Pembrokeshire Beach Food Company, and then in January 2017, Jonathan went off on paternity leave,” explained Barti Rum’s managing director, Fran Barnikel.

“Any normal person would have been busy changing nappies, but Jonathan, being the incredible entrepreneurial person that he is, came back to work saying, ‘Ok, I’m going to start a new company’.

“He’d read about Barti Ddu the pirate, and had always wanted to bring out a spiced rum in his honour. So he’d spent his paternity leave investigating different distilleries and bottlers and slowly but surely, Barti Spiced Rum started to come to fruition.”

Because of Jonathan’s strong allegiance with Pembrokeshire seaweed, he knew from the outset that the natural product would be used in his rum.

“Jonathan wanted his rum to be vibrant in flavour, so the seaweed is infused, giving it a real depth of flavour and enhancing the other ingredients which include vanilla, cloves, cinnamon, orange and lemon,” said Fran.

The rum is distilled in the Caribbean and then exported to Cardiff where the Pembrokeshire seaweed along with the remaining ingredients are infused.

“Out first batch arrived in late summer and initially we sold only to people we knew,” continued Fran.

“But as time went on, we could see that there was definitely a market out there for expansion.

“Obviously there was a lot less niche for the rum as there had been for the seaweed, plus the gin market was picking up at the time. But we could also see that the rum market was on the increase. In many ways, it was perfect timing. So we continued riding the wave.”

Jonathan and his team shun the rum purists who cite mixing it with coke or pepsi as sacrilege.

“All we want is for people to enjoy it,” said Fran. “And this means drinking it exactly as they want. If you want to add cola or ginger beer, that’s great. But it’s also really good with cloudy apple juice and particularly now as we’re getting closer to Christmas, hot apple juice.”

The cream liqueur is also extremely versatile for cocktails, including the Manhattan, Mojito and Daiquiri.

Jonathan has steadfastly refused to add flavour varieties to his brand, adhering rigidly to the Barti Spiced.

“From the beginning, he wanted to create a strong product that would continue to do well, rather than dilute its vibrant flavour with other ingredients.”

But in Christmas 2023, Jonathan broke away from his rule by introducing a Barti Cream Liqueur.

“This was the first addition he’d ever introduced to the range and it was only supposed to last for the Christmas period. But once again, because of the feedback we’ve received from our customers, we’ve kept it going and we’re now fully stocked for Christmas 2024.”

The Herald caught up with Fran as she travelled back to Pembrokeshire from Tesco’s headquarters in Welwyn Garden City, London. Six weeks ago the company began selling their rum at a total of 58 Tesco stores throughout Wales, but the supermarket giant is now considering stocking Barti Spiced Rum throughout the whole of the UK.

Earlier this year, Barti Spiced Rum was named the best rum in the Great British Food Awards while the Barti Cream Liqueur has won eight separate awards in the World Drinks Awards including best in country, best new launch, and three golds awards in both the taste and design categories.

One can’t help wondering, given the fact that eight years ago Barti Spiced Rum had yet to be given its first pouring, whether its success has come as a surprise.

““At the end of the day, Jonathan has that incredible ability to make everything work,” chuckled Fran. “Everything that he captures tends to turn to gold.

“But we know that Barti Spiced Rum is a really strong product and something that’s very ‘Pembrokeshire-sentric’. And the support we continue to get from the local cafes and pubs has been incredible and has really helped us to move forward. The staff reach out, time and time again, with tasters and samples, and we know that they’re genuinely behind our brand. And this is so important. We are so grateful for everything they continue to do to support us.”

News

Public safety warning issued for Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay

Published

22 minutes ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE PORT OF MILFORD HAVEN is urging members of the public to stay away from Ward’s Yard in Milford Haven and Criterion Quay in Pembroke Dock due to ongoing concerns over public safety.

Despite enhanced security measures, individuals continue to access both sites illegally—damaging fencing and ignoring prominent warning signage in the process.

Both Ward’s Yard and Criterion Quay (also known locally as the offshore jetty) are privately owned by the Port of Milford Haven. The Port has warned that any unauthorised entry constitutes trespassing, and incidents involving criminal damage could result in prosecution.

Niall Yeomans, Head of Health, Safety and Security at the Port of Milford Haven, said:
“Safety is our key priority. Members of the public are continuously putting themselves—and our staff—at risk of serious harm by trespassing in these areas.

“Both locations are isolated and lie adjacent to deep water, making them particularly hazardous. There is a serious risk of slips, trips, and falls.”

The Port is asking anyone who witnesses suspicious activity at either site to contact Dyfed-Powys Police immediately by calling 101.

Education

Every child in Wales to be given the opportunity to speak Welsh with confidence

Published

29 minutes ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

THE SENEDD has passed landmark legislation to ensure that every child in Wales has the opportunity to confidently speak Welsh, regardless of their background or the language medium of the school they attend.

The Welsh Language and Education (Wales) Bill, passed today, aims to close the gap in Welsh-speaking ability among pupils from different schools. It supports the Welsh Government’s goal of reaching one million Welsh speakers by 2050 by strengthening the role of the Welsh language within education.

The Bill’s overarching ambition is that all pupils attending maintained schools in Wales will be able to use Welsh independently by the time they leave school.

Welsh Language Secretary, Mark Drakeford, said: “The Welsh language belongs to us all. This Bill gives children and young people a greater opportunity to become confident Welsh speakers and brings us closer to our national goal of one million speakers.

“As a Senedd, we have passed an important and far-reaching Bill that will empower every child to use the Welsh language with confidence. I look forward to continued collaboration as we implement it.”

The legislation introduces three Welsh language categories for maintained schools, each with a minimum required level of Welsh language education. It also mandates action to expand access to intensive Welsh language immersion education across Wales, supporting learners of all ages — including those who may not currently use Welsh in everyday life.

Education Secretary, Lynne Neagle, said: “Our approach to late language immersion is unique. This Bill builds on the excellent work already happening across Wales and ensures that every child has the opportunity to learn Welsh, use it, and benefit from it.”

Government support for implementation

To support the ambitions of the Bill, the Welsh Government is:

Continuing grant schemes to increase the number of Welsh-speaking teachers and teaching assistants.
Offering free Welsh lessons to all school staff.

Additional initiatives include:

Transition Scheme: Supports Welsh speakers in primary schools or those teaching outside Wales to become secondary teachers in Welsh-medium schools.
Iaith Athrawon Yfory Incentive Scheme: Offers £5,000 incentives to students training to teach through the medium of Welsh or to teach Welsh as a subject.
Retention Bursary: Provides a £5,000 bursary to secondary teachers who have taught Welsh or through Welsh for three years since 2020 and remain in post during their fourth year.
Expanding alternative routes into teaching, including the Open University’s programme and new accredited models like the Cardiff Metropolitan University scheme.
A wide range of free Welsh language training courses for practitioners, including the sabbatical scheme, provided by the National Centre for Learning Welsh.

Key provisions of the Bill:

Provides a statutory foundation for the 2050 target of one million Welsh speakers.
Requires targets to be set for Welsh language education and broader usage, including in workplaces and social settings.
Establishes a standard method to describe Welsh language ability across all age groups, based on international frameworks (CEFR).
Defines three school language categories, with minimum Welsh language education requirements:
- Primary Language – Welsh (80% of curriculum)
- Bilingual (50%)
- Primary Language – English, partial Welsh (10%)
Sets language learning goals for each school category.
Requires local authorities to take steps to provide intensive Welsh language immersion education for children aged 7 and over wishing to attend a Welsh-medium or bilingual school.
Introduces a national system for Welsh education planning, covering national, local, and school levels.
Establishes a National Welsh Language Learning Institute, tasked with:
- Supporting Welsh language learning across all age groups.
- Ensuring the education workforce can learn Welsh and improve their Welsh skills.

Entertainment

Rhys Mwyn to present top Welsh acts at Llangollen International Eisteddfod

Published

2 hours ago

May 13, 2025

Tom Sinclair

Special showcase ahead of KT Tunstall’s orchestral performance

BBC RADIO CYMRU presenter and Welsh music pioneer Rhys Mwyn will host a special showcase of three standout Welsh artists at this year’s Llangollen International Eisteddfod.

The outdoor event, “Rhys Mwyn yn Cyflwyno / Rhys Mwyn Presents”, takes place on Thursday 10 July from 4:30pm to 7:00pm and leads into the evening’s headline concert by BRIT Award-winning, Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter KT Tunstall. Tunstall will perform her iconic debut album Eye to the Telescope in full with orchestral backing for the first time.

Rhys Mwyn will introduce performances by Pedair, Mared and Buddug – three trailblazing artists at the forefront of modern Welsh music.

Pedair is a supergroup formed by four of Wales’ most acclaimed folk artists, blending traditional roots with contemporary flair. Mared brings powerful vocals and poetic songwriting inspired by Welsh landscapes and culture, while Buddug offers a bold fusion of folk, pop and electronica, redefining the possibilities of Welsh-language music.

Rhys Mwyn said: “I’m absolutely thrilled to present such incredible Welsh talent at this year’s Eisteddfod. Pedair, Mared and Buddug are pushing creative boundaries and bringing new energy to the Welsh music scene. It’s an honour to be part of this landmark festival, which has always stood as a beacon of cultural celebration. I can’t wait to showcase these exceptional artists on what’s expected to be one of the festival’s biggest days.”

Morgan Thomas, trustee of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod, added: “We’re delighted to partner with Rhys Mwyn and BBC Radio Cymru for this unique event. Rhys’s passion for Welsh music and commitment to nurturing talent is invaluable. This collaboration broadens our cultural offering and connects us to new audiences locally and internationally.”

The bilingual event celebrates Welsh culture, language and musical innovation. Entry is just £5, with free admission for those holding tickets to the KT Tunstall concert. Food and drink will be available on-site, making it the perfect pre-show experience.

Event details
What: Rhys Mwyn Presents – Pedair, Mared, Buddug
When: Thursday 10 July, 4:30pm–7:00pm
Where: Llangollen International Eisteddfod site
Tickets: £5 / Free with KT Tunstall concert ticket
Website: www.llangollen.net

Supported by BBC Radio Cymru, the Arts Council of Wales and Visit Wales, this promises to be an unforgettable celebration of contemporary Welsh music in the heart of one of the country’s most cherished festivals.